12 May 1777 Mary Reibey,
baptised Molly Haydock, born in Bury, Lancashire,
England. Orphaned, she was reared by a grandmother and sent into service.
She ran away, and was arrested for horse stealing in August 1791.
When
arrested she was dressed as a boy and using an alias, however her identity
was revealed during the trial. She was 13 years old when sentenced
to seven years' transportation,
October 1792
she arrived in New South Wales on the Royal Admiral.
1792 she was
assigned as a nursemaid in the household of Major Francis Grose.
7
September 1794, 17-year-old Mary married Thomas Raby, junior officer on the
store ship Britannia,formerly
of the East India Company
Raby also used the surnames Raiby, Reiby and
Reibey interchangeably, but the family adopted the spelling Reibey in later
years.
Thomas Raby
was granted land on the Hawkesbury River, where he and Mary lived and farmed
following their marriage. He commenced a cargo business along the Hawkesbury
River to Sydney, and traded in coal, cedar, furs and skins.
later moved
to Sydney.
1804 Thomas
Reibey's business undertakings prospered, enabling him in to build a
substantial stone residence on a further grant of land near Macquarie Place.
riebys house is to the right of
the lane with the pitched roof
1807
Thomas bought a schooner &
He entered
into a partnership with Edward Wills, and trading activities were extended
to Bass Strait, the Pacific Islands and, from 1809, to China and India.
1809
falls ill after a voyage to India
5 April 1811
Thomas Reibey died. Mary was left with seven children and control of a
large business which included rural properties, Bass Strait sealing
operations and overseas trading. Through enterprise and hard work she became
one of the most successful businesswomen in the Colony. As she rose in
affluence, she also rose in respectability and socialised in Governor
Macquarie's set.
1812 Mary
opened a new warehouse
1817
extended her fleet with the purchase of two more ships.
1820 Mary
returned to England with her daughters.
Mary assumed
sole responsibility for the care of seven children and control of numerous
business enterprises.
Now a woman
of considerable wealth, Mary Reibey continued to expand her business
interests.
In 1812 she
opened a new warehouse in George Street
1817 extended
her shipping operations with the purchase of further vessels.
1828
gradually retired from active involvement in commerce, she had acquired
extensive property holdings in the city.
In the
emancipist society of New South Wales she had gained respect for her
charitable works and her interest in the church and education.
1825 She was
appointed one of the Governors of the Free Grammar School
she lived in
retirement, in the house she built at Newtown,
30 May 1855
mary reibey died
at the age of 78.
Five of her
seven children had predeceased her.
Mary's
face now appears on the Australian $20 note.
source
www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/familyHistory/reiby.htm
